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Childhood experience looking at the stars; influence and encouragement of parents; early reading in science; influence and importance of Maria Mitchell; education at Vassar; graduate work at Cornell; discouragement from going into science at Cornell; influence of Martha Stahr (now M. S.

This interview is part of a small program to document the recent history of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). These interviews were used as background studies to help authors of chapters of the centennial history volume of the Society research and organize documentary materials. The volume to be published in 1999. This interview discusses Rubin's family background and years at Vassar; working at Naval Research Laboratory; influence of Richard Feynman on her studies at Cornell; teaching, observational work and spectroscopy at Georgetown; AAS meetings.

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